Desparate, Need help to install MenuetOS

[bjh1225]

I am 77 and technically challenged ! I have an OLD Sony Vaio PCG R505ESK laptop that was given to me. Someone tried to load Windows XP Pro on it and didn't finish.

I cannot do anything with this computer. I bought an external cdrom unit but I cannot install it due to the lack of an operating systerm. I have an external 3.5" floppy drive.

I have downloaded MenuetOS to a 3.5" floppy disk but I cannot install it on the computer. When I try to run it I receive a message telling me that the files are too big to unzip on the disk. WHY is it trying to unzip on the same disk? It does not give me the opportunity to unzip it any place else.

Can I download MenuetOS to a memory stick and install it into the above named computer?

Thanks, bjh1225

[Madis731]

First, I hope you understand that MenuetOS is a hobby operating system and therefore doesn't have all the tools to get you ready for the internet and productivity suites. Otherwise you will just be disappointed, because most of the components in your Vaio won't work.

Now, if you want to run MenuetOS you'll either need a floppy or a USB memory stick. USB flash drives are of course quicker, but floppy is usually guaranteed to work whereas USB boot is very dependent on the machine and the BIOS. I can tell that most Dell, HP, Toshiba and Sony laptops won't boot from USB, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
1) If you chose floppy:
You should start by downloading the EXE-file, like MDW64-090I.EXE, which is the newest at the time of writing. Then start it and there will be a nice user-interface that will guide you through to writing the image to the disk (A:).
2) If you chose USB:
The quickest way to ensure USB-booting works is find at leas some kind of hint in BIOS that it does.
To get to BIOS, depending on the computer you need to press Delete, F2, Shift+F2, F12 or F10 repeatedly right after the machines starts to boot up.
"USB-boot [Enabled]", "USB-legacy [Enabled]", "USB emulation [Floppy|HDD|CD-ROM|Auto]" are just a few of them. If you don't have any hint in the BIOS then most probably it doesn't support the booting.

If you don't want to mess with BIOS or cannot get there, there's always the possibility to try
For that you should start by downloading the ZIP-file (like M64-090I.ZIP) and then extract it on your harddrive (Desktop will do fine if you delete it afterwards).
There's a tutorial here I wrote some time ago.
I have to warn you, though. It is NOT the safest way to put it on a USB stick, but it works if done correctly.

[bjh1225]

I have been away for the past 2 days so slow to respond. I appreciate your detailed response to my query. For now I will just let things 'rest'.

Thank you very much, bjh

[Thecle]

Hi All

I have the same machine and i want to install a very smart OS Ithink MenuEtOs is good choice But i don't have floppy and i search a method like in your link
do you think that ican aply something like else for be bootable and install the os in the hard Drive of notebook.

Regards

PS : Sorry for my english.